You’re Not Worthy: Snubbed Customers Snap Up Luxury Goods

By

Brenda Cronin

May 13, 2014 10:41 am ET

For luxury-goods retailers, nothing spikes sales like snubbing the customer.

Shoppers pining for a fancy handbag are more likely to pull out their credit cards than turn on their heels after encountering a rude clerk, according to new research. That’s because indicating that some people don’t fit with fancy brands motivates those individuals to prove they do — by making a purchase.

Yet the tactic only works for high-end goods. The cold shoulder at the Gap is likely to drive customers elsewhere, not trigger splurges on jeans and T-shirts.

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